Surgical-needle holder.



J. G. GARLSON & O. G. SAXTON.

SURGICAL NEEDLE HOLDER.

APPLICATION FILED APB..20, 1911.

I JJZkWZ/WZ Inventor! Atiorneys MUM-IA PLANSGIAIH 50., WASHINGTON. D. C

Patented Sept. 10, 1912.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN C. CARLSON AND OLIVER. G. SAXTON, OF EATON, COLORADO.

SURGICAL-NEEDLE HOLDER.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JOHN C. CARLsoN and OLIVER G. SAxToN, citizens ofthe United States, residing at Eaton, in the county of Weld, State ofColorado, have invented a new and useful Surgical-Needle Holder, ofwhich the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to surgery, and more especially to needleholders; and the object of the invention is to produce a sutureinstrument of the scissors type whereby, in the act of inserting thesuture in the flesh, the needle is automatically transferred from onejaw of the instrument to the other. This object is accomplished by theconstruction hereinafter more fully described and claimed, and shown inthe drawings where- Figure 1 is a side elevation of this instrumentready for use, the needle being held in one jaw and in position readyfor insertion through the flesh. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the jawend of the instrument showing the needle after it has been transferred.Figs. 3 and 4 are sectional views on the line A--B and C-D respectivelyof- Fig. 2.

In the drawings the reference numerals 1 and 2 designate a pair ofprimary handles crossing each other and pivoted together at the point 3,and at indicates a secondary handle member or lever which may well bemounted movably on the same pivot 3 and whose body lies along that ofone of the main handles as 2. The main handle 1 has its extremityupturned in a aw 5 of a shape best seen in Fig. 4, and through this awis formed a transverse slot 6 into which lies the thread T that ofcourse passes through the eye I of the needle N when the eye end of theneedle stands in this jaw as seen in Fig. 1. The extremity of the othermain handle 2 is provided with a jaw 7 which is of a size and shape andproper disposition to receive the tip of the needle when the jaws arebrought together as best seen in Fig. 3. Through one side of this aw 7passes a latch 8 which is carried by the outer end of the supplementalhandle 4, the tip of the latch being so disposed that it will normallyengage a notch. or cavity G that is formed in the needle end near itspoint P as best seen in Fig. 1.

When this instrument is to be used, the needle is threaded and insertedinto the jaw 5 as seen in Fig. 1, the surgeon takes the in-Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 20, 1911.

Patented Sept. 10,1912.

Serial No. 622,317.

strument in his hand with his fingers through the eyes of the handleslike a pair of scissors, and the stitch is made through the flesh. Thehandles are then pressed toward each other which of course causes the Penters the aw 7 when the cavity C comes under the tip of the latch 8andthe needle is caughtcin this upper Thereafter when the handles arespread apart and the jaws are given a corresponding movement, the lowerjaw 5 drops away from the eye end of the needle, leaving the lattersuspended in the upper jaw as seen in Fig. 2 and the suture in placethrough the flesh. It is obvious that this operation can be performed indifiicult and in somewhat inaccessible places where the surgeon couldnot or would prefer not to attempt to'insert his hand. To release theneedle from the upper jaw, the eye end of the secondary or supplementalhandle 4 is moved in the proper direction to withdraw the latch 8 atrifle so that the latter releases the cavity C in the needle. To permitthis to take place we prefer that the latch be projected obliquelythrough the side of the jaw 7 as best seen in Fig. 3 and as in dicatedin Fig. 1, so that a slight downward movement of the eye at the handleend of the supplemental handle t will cause the latch to move upward andoutward as the body of this member springs a little, and the needle isthereby quickly released and ready for renewed operation.

What is claimed is:

1. A surgical needle holder of the scissors type comprising a pair ofhandle members crossed and pivoted to each other where they cross andhaving their front ends bent into jaws directed toward each other, onejaw having a transverse slot for the passage of the suture, asupplemental handle movably attached to the other main handle, and alatch carried by the supplemental handle and adapted to engage theneedle near its point when the latter is introduced into this aw. J 2.The combination with a needle having a cavity near its point and an eyenear its opposite end, and a suture passing through said eye; of aneedle holder of the scissors type whereof the pivoted members have jawsin their extremities directed toward each other, one jaw being slottedfor the passage of said suture, and a third handle aws to approach eachother, and in so doing the needle N is moved upward until its pointmember mounted on the pivot which connects the other two and having alatch at its front end projected into one side of that jaw whichreceives the tip of the needle.

8. A surgical needle holder comprising pivotally connected primarylevers, one of which is provided wit-h needle-receiving means; and asecondary lever pivoted upon the other primary lever and adapted toengage directly with the needle, to hold the needle during thewithdrawal of the same from the needle-receiving means, the sec ondarylever constituting the sole movable element upon that primary lever towhich the secondary lever is pivoted.

4. A surgical needle holder comprising primary levers, one of which isprovided with needle-receiving means; a secondary lever adapted toengage directly with the needle, to hold the needle during thewithdrawal of the same from the needle-receivingmeans; and a singlepivot connecting all of the levers.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our own, we have heretoaflixed our signatures in the presence: of two witnesses.

JOHN o. GARLSON. OLIVER e. SAXTON.

Witnesses:

MAURICE C. MoIN'rosH, DANIEL R. KI'N'NEY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

